Measuring unit for lubricating systems



Oct. 11, 1932. G. MOORE 1,881,841

MEASURING UNIT FOR LUBRICATING SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 22, 1925 WffM M Patented Oct. 11, 1932 urrso 5 1 14.11 "Es PATENT ore-ice i ma-1W enoasn L. MOORE, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Ass enon. T ALEM'ITE a reement: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; A conrone'rron on DELAWARE MEASURING emu: non nunmcn'rzne SYSTEMS The present invention relates to that type of lubricating system in which a lubricant is forced from acentral point to a plurality of distributed discharge points; and the'object of the present invention is toproduce a simple andeiiicient measuring unit or device adapted, when placed at one of such discharge points, to segregate a predetermined quantity of the lubricating material, during each cycleof operations, and positively discharge it into a bearing to be lubricated, regardless of the'pressure point, or the speed of operation or the length of time that the pressure is applied.

The various features of novelty whereby my inventionis characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects andadvantages, reference may be had 'to the following detailed description taken'in' connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section throughone of my improved devices, mounted on a support containing a bearing to be lubricated, the parts being in their normal positions corresponding to lack ofpressure in the system; Fig. 2is a view similar to Fig. 1,

showing the condition of the parts, after the first application of pressure after installation of the device; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 2 showing the condition of the parts immediately after the release of pressure.

Y Referring'to the drawing, -1 represents a small hollow cylinder closed.- at the bottom and having at the middle of the bottom a downwardly projecting nipple 2 to bescrewed into a support. The top of the cylinder is closed by a detachable cap 3 having a .central inlet portl: to receive lubricating 'material from a conduit 5 leading to a central distributing point, not shown. Fitting within th cylinder and slidable lengthwise thereof is ashort sleeve 6 resting on a coiled spring 7. The coiledspring in turn rests on a fiat ring 8 resting on the bottom of the cylinder and surrounding the outlet passage 9 in'the nipple. A spring finger 10 extends upwardly and laterally from one side of the ring Sand at the central distributing V 13 passes the is provided at its upper end with ahook 11 that normally lies in the vicinity of the longi tudinalaxis ofthe cylinder. l

The upper edge of the sleeve Gisground to form a seat 12 in the form of a segment of a sphere. Resting on this seat is a valve 13 having its under face curvedto conform to the same spherical surface as the valve seat.

The member .10 has an upwardly'projecting stem providedwith a conical valve 14: at the upper end, the part 14 being adapted, when the pressure in the system is relieved, to close the inlet port or passage 4.. The" under side of the top of the cap 3 is shaped to enclose a conical chamber 15 merging at the: apex into the inlet passag 4; the walls of this chamber serving to guide the valvel l to its seat. .On the under sideiof the valve 13 is a downwardly pro ecting stem 16 having at the lower end a head 17 in the form ofanxinverted cone. Y a J Normally the parts are in theposition shown in Fig. 1. When pressure is applied at the central distributing station, the lubricant L. in the conduitpresses the va'lvel l down against the resistance of the spring 7, so that lubricantenters the upper end of the cylinder. The spherical'yalve 13 prevents the lubricant from passing down through 6 and therefore the.

the interior of the sleeve sleeve is pressed down,1alongwith the valve 13. The parts are sowproportioned that asthe sleeve approaches the lower limit' offits' movement, the conical head 17 on the valve hook 11 and presses the same laterally. A further downward movement of the sleeve and valve brings the parts ini'a position thatpermits the hook 11 to snap over the upwardly directed face on the conical head 17 as shown in Fig. 2. Then, when the pressure at the. central distributing point is relieved and a condition is establishedsuch that the lubricant may move backwards through the conduit,the spring forces. the sleeve up. However, the spherical valveis anchored, the hook tending to hold it down. It willbe seen that the downward pull of erally from the vertical axis of the i'valve and therefore the first result-of a slight upthe hook is applied at a point displacedlat i V ward movement of the sleeve is to tilt the valve as shown in Fig. 3; this tilting being made possible by the spherical shape of the seat and valve, the valve sliding bodily in a downward direction on one side, and the upper side rising. The lubricant in the upper part of the cylinder can now flow past the valve into the interior of the sleeve. As the sleeve continues to rise, the tilting of the valve will reach a point at which the hook will slide oil the top of the head with which it engages, leaving the valve free. lubricant is now rushing down through the passage open for it, the valve will remain tilted until it approaches the inlet port, whereupon the conical walls leading to the inlet port will engage with. the-conical valve member 14 and straighten the valve device into the position shown in Fig. 1. The inlet passage 4 is very small in cross sectional area'compared-to the cross sectional area of the valve will hold the valve open. In other words, the operati-onfof the device does not depend upon the; distance at which it is 10- cated below thedistributing station, or the remoteness from such station. Therefore a plurality of such devices located at different distances from the distributing station, and at difi'eren-t elevations, will all operate elliciently.

I If the lubricant that has been transferred from. the upper part of the cylinder'to the lower part does not flow freely into the bearing to be lubricated, the neXt cycle of opera tions will cause this segregated quantity of lubricating material to be forced positively out of the discharge outlet under the full pressure of the system.

It will-be seen'that after the valve and the sleeve have been forced down, it makes no difl'erence how great the pressure is or how long the application of pressure may continue, sinceno lubricant can pass the main valve until such a time when the pressure is released and the sleeve and valve begin to move up. V

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of niy'invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention. constituting the appended claim 7 lclaiimz, 1. A metering device for a'centrali'zed lu- However, since the i bricating system, comprising a chamber having an inlet at the top and an outlet at the bottom, said inlet adapted for connection to a conduit forming part of said system, a member, having an opening therethrough, fitting slidably into said chamber for up and down movements, means maintaining said opening closed while said member is moving down wardly, additional means for uncovering said opening when said member starts on its upward movement, and separate means tendingconstantly to raise said member.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a chamber having an inlet at the top and an outlet at the bottom, a member having a sliding fit in. said 'chamberand adapted to move up and down therein, a springtending constantly to raise said member, said member having thereinvan opening terminating in a concave upwardly-facing valve seat at the top, a convex valve resting on said seat, a shoulder on the under side of the valve on one side of thelongitudinal axis of the valve, and a stationa-ryspring catch in position yieldingly to engage said shoulder when the said member is in its lowermost pos tion and afterwards cause the valve to tip and uncover said'opening when said member begins to rise. I.

'3. In a centralized lubricating system, a conduit, a metering device'ha'ving an inlet and an outlet, said inlet connected to said to be lubricated, a-me'asuring chamber in said device, said chamber having an outlet, a laterally displaceable member normally closing the outlet of said chamber, and means for shifting said member to place said chamber and first mentioned outlet in communication. i i

4. A metering device for a. centralized lubricating system comprising, in combination, a chamber having an inlet at the top adapted for-connection to a conduit forming part of said system, a movable sleeve in said chamber having an opening therein forming an outlet for said chamber, resilient means for urging said sleeve upwardly, a displaceable member .normally closing said outlet, and means engageable with said member for displacing the member relative to said sleeve to open said outlet, upon movement of said sleeve in one direction.

5. A device ofthe character described comprising a chamber having an inlet at the top and an outlet at the bottom, a member fitting slidably in said chamber so as to be movable up and down therein, said member having an. opening therethrough, a downwardly seating valve for. said opening, means, adapted detachably to engage with said valve when said member approaches thelower limit of its movement and to unseat the valve when the said member begins to rise and'thereupon conduit and said outlet connected't'o a part to disengage itself, and a spring tending constantly to raise said member.

6. A metering device for a centralized lubricating system comprising a cylinder having an inlet at the top and an outlet at the bottom, a member fitting slidably in said cylinder and having an opening there'- through, a downwardly seating valve resting on said member and adapted to close said opening, a spring tending constantly to'move said member upwardly, means for unseating said valve when said member moves upwardly from its lowermost position, and means for closing the valve reaches the upper limit of its movement.

7 A metering device for a centralized lubricating' system comprising a measuring chamber having a movable wall, an inlet for said chamber adapted for connection to a conduit forming a part of said system, an outlet for said chamber located in said movable wall, a spring urgingrsaid movable wall upwardly, a laterally displaceable member normally closing said outlet, and means operable upon the upward movement ofsaid Wall for displacing said member to open the outlet. 8

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

GEORGE L. MOORE.

when said member 7 

